How NOT to get Scammed on Rebills

You've seen the sensationalized news stories on re-bills and how these companies are out to get you, bad to the core, evil, etc. What you might not know is that companies have been doing this for DECADES but only now is the shit hitting that oh-so-proverbial fan.

Well, instead of complaining like some whiny girl, why don't you just NOT get scammed?

"Gosh .. how do I do that, Scott?"

It's easy. Let me tell you.

1. Single-use (AKA Disposable) Credit Card Numbers

Yeah, hear that? That was the sound of your brain exploding.

They exist, they're easy to use and banks are beginning to offer them. What you do is have your bank (or PayPal) generate a one-time-use credit card number for you, and you can go out and use that credit card -- wait for it -- ONE time.

What this means is that no one could re-bill you even if they begged and pleaded. The only way you can have a second charge made to your account is if you purposely contact them and request billing be made to your REAL credit card number.

2. READ, READ, READ and READ some more

As an affiliate marketer, I can tell you that if I can hide something in the fine print, I will. That asterisk? Yeah, it's my best friend. I can say something like, oh I don't know:

FREE* AFTER $1.95 SHIPPING & HANDLING!

So not only have I duped you into thinking you're getting a product for free, but I've also left out the most important part of the deal (which of course is hidden at the bottom of the page or on a completely separate page):

* This product is free for 30 days, after which I will bill you for $1,000/month until you cancel the subscription. Also, you must dance like a chicken for 30 minutes every first and third Tuesday of every month at 4:00pm.

Not so appealing NOW, is it? Well, it is to me but not so much for you. If only you had read the fine print, you wouldn't be getting billed $1,000 a month and dancing like a chicken on every odd Tuesday. Well, luckily you can cancel at any time, right? RIGHT?

3. Canceling Re-Bills Is NOT EASY

Companies that offer products rely solely on the fact that you'll forget to cancel your subscription (as most people who sign up do forget) and it will continue for at LEAST a few months. This is why they are notoriously difficult to contact for cancellations.

Not only can you not get through to them in the first place, but once you do, you'll be on the line with someone who will be penalized for losing your business. They might be called "customer service," but they are really just unlucky salesmen who got stuck answering phones for unhappy customers.

What this means for you is that not only are they going to try their hardest to get you not to cancel, they're going to try and get you to spend MORE money (the audacity!).

The system is set up this way to make the owners of these companies butt loads of cash that they most likely won't have to return. There are hundreds of these products active on the internet for this very reason.

So yes, they may be investigated by the media, government organizations and even joe-blow reporter, but that doesn't mean they'll stop. They'll make minor adjustments here and there to fit through the loop-holes in the system and they'll continue. The only way to make them stop is to educate yourself and STOP being such an idiot! People will take advantage of you if it means a few extra bucks in their pockets.

Some companies simply won’t answer the phone that they claim to be operating when you try to cancel their products. I know a lot of people that have been destroyed by these offers that are too unethical for their own good, so it is important to always be wary.

I have to say that I agree, most companies are impossible to contact about this sort of thing. I’ve only ever had one good (if you count being billed without your knowledge good…) experience and that was with Netflix. I had been billed 10 dollars a month for almost a year without noticing, called and said I didn’t know about the charges, didn’t use the service, and they refunded me the next day.